Railway signaling apparatus.



C. J. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 1, 1909.

,089,395 Patented Mar. 10, 1914L 2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

C. J. COLEMAN. RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1909. ,089,395. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Hilimmltz 48 5 nog wko@ @w1/kwamen: NIL. /AQ

llc

earns PATENT onirica.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR lT0 HALL SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING'` APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to automatic railway signaling apparatus, in which gas is used to operate the signals, and to light the same.

The principal objects of my invention are to utilize the exhaust gas from the gas motor for lighting the signals; to regulate the iiow of said gas to the burners; to store said gas and tosuppl it to the burners from its storage receptac e; and to rectify the gas before it reaches the motor or the burners to furnish and carry to the burners for lighting the signals a gas especially adapted for this pui-,

pose, and which is also particularly adapted for operating the gas motor and for supplying said gas to said mot-or; and to provide burners for lighting the signals that will give the best results as to brilliancy, steadiness and uniformity of light.

My invention consists generally of the apparatus, devices and parts, and combinations of the same as hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of my invention in elevation and partly in vertical section. Fig. 2 illustrates vertical sections of the gas generator and rectiiier shown in Fig. 1, but on a much larger scale, .and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the valve devices for cont-rolling the How of gas to the gas motor, and the exhaustgas from the motor. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of the valve devices for controlling the flow of gas to the gas storing reservoir. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the lantern for illuminating the signal. Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section of the burner for said lantern.

Similar characters represent like parts in all the figures.

1 is a gas-tight generator in which the gas is generated for operating the gas motor of the apparatus and for supplying the burners for lighting the signals.

l 2 is a discharge or outlet pipe for the gas from the generator 1, from which it passes into the rectifier 3.

4 is a gas outletpassage from said rectifier. Said passage or pipe 4 is provided with a branch 5, discharging into a gas-tight receptacle G.

7 is a stop-cock situated in the pipe 4, between the rectifier 3 and the receptacle 6. This receptacle 6 is for the purpose of furnishing a supply of gas to the rest of the apparatus, when the .generator 1 is opened for cleaning or for supplying the gas generating materials, or for any other purpose. During such time the stop-cock 7 is closed, and the gas from the receptacle 6 is used for supplying gas to the apparatus. When the generator 1 is ready for use in generating gas, and 1s closed, the stop-cock 7 will be opened and the gas may be carried from said generator and rectifier 3 along the passage or pipe 4 to the rest of the apparatus. The pipe 4 leads p to an ordinary reducing valve 8, and a pressure indicator 9. 10 is a gas outlet pipe from said reducing Valve, from which it passes t0. the inlet of a double valve casing 11, one of the outlets from said casing being connected with a pipe 12 leading into an ordinary gas motor 13, the other outlet from said casingk 11 connecting with a pipe 14 which extends into the lower end of a gas reservoir 15. 16 is an outlet pipe from said reservoir eX- tending to the as burner 17 (see Figs. 8 and 9) for lightlng the signal. Connecting the pipes 10 and 14 is a bypass 18 provided with a controlling valve 'casing 19.

The passageways in the casing 11 are the following -A passage 20, see Fig. 4, leads from the inlet 10 into an open space 21 in the upper part of the casing 11, and fromsaid space is a vertical passage 22 down through said casing 11, and which passage widens at its bottom, as at 23. The outlet passage 12 opens into said passage 22, and the widened passage 23 has an outlet 24 into pipe 14. The upper end of the passage 22 is tapering and forms a valve seat for a tapering or conical valve 25 for coperating with said valve seat.

26 is a valve stem connecting the valve 25 with the valve 27 at the lower part of said stem. l

In Fig. 4 of the drawing the conical valve 25 is resting upon its seat, and has closed the outlet from the pipe 10, so that no gas may pass from said pipe through the valve casing 11.- At such time, however,as will be seen by said figure, `the valve ELs below its seat, so that gas from the passage 12 can pass back through said passage and the casing 11 through the outlet 24 and through the pipe 14 to the reservoir 15. Saidgas will be the exhaust from the motor 13. When the conical valve 25 is raised from its seat, the gas will pass from the pipe 10 through the passage 20, space 21, passage 22 and pipe 12 to the motor 13; and at such time the valve 27 will be rest-ing upon its seat so that the exhaust passage will beclosed, there being novoutlet for the gas back through the casing 11 from the pipe 12.

The generator 1 consists of a casing 28 open at it-s top, and provided near its top with an annular flange or collar 29.

30 is a cap covering the open end of casing 28, and held down upon the end of said casing by an ordinary screw clamp 31, the opposite arms of said clamp passing under the flange 29, and the screw 32 of the clamp passing through the yoke of the same and having its lower end turning in a socket in the middle of the cap 30.

33 is an annular flexible packing inclosed within recesses of the cap 30 and flange 29, for the purpose of insuring a gas tight joint between the casing 28 and its cap.

34 is a removable receptacle or reservoir, shown in Fig. 2 in the form of a depending pocket, having a laterally extending flange 35 at its top resting upon an annular shoulder 36 within the casing 28, the pocket 34 being suspended from said shoulder.

37 is a bag or receptacle which is pervious to liquid, and which is also perforated or reticulated like a sieve. and which hangs within the pocket 34 and preferably out of troduced into said tank.

contact with the walls of the same. Said pocket 37 is suspended from a ring 38 which rests onthe flange 35 of the pocket 34.

39 is a liquid tank having its top open and secured to the lower end of the cap 30. An opening 40, covered by a screw plug 41 permits the water or other liquid to be inn the bottom of the tank 39 is a conical valve seat 42 with which engages a conical valve 43. This conical valve 43 is secured to a double angle rod 44, which extends downwardly from thev valve, thence laterally, thence vertically up through the upper part of the casing 28, and through a bell-shaped socket- 45 in cap 30, and secured to a metal gas tightdiaphragm 46 at the top of said casing 45. A tension spring 47 between said diaphragm and a fixed yoke 48 over the top of the casing 45 serves to normally bear down the rod 44 and the valve 43 away from the valve seat 42. A thumb-screw 49 passing through the yoke 48 and against the spring 47 regulates the tension of the same.

50 is a bracket secured to the side of the tank 39, and is provided with a guide for the longer vertical part ofthe rod 44.

aoeasee rlhe rectier 3 has a removable cap 51 secured to the open upper end of said rectier in a similar manner to that in which the cap 30 is secured to the casing 28, by means of the screw clamp 52. The rectifier 3 is provided in its interior, a short distance above the entrance of the pipe 2 with a removable bottom 53 which is perforated or reticulated or pervious to gas and moisture. Said bottom may be a piece of wire netting, and may rest upon an inwardly extending shoulder 54.

The gas reservoir 15 l have shown as made in the form of a gasometer, consisting of a central gas chamber 55 and an annular water chamber 56 surrounding said gas chamber.

57 is a vertically movable cover for the gas chamber 55, with its depending walls surrounding the walls of said chamber 55 and passing down into the annular water chamber 56. Secured to the cover 5.7 is an upright 58 provided with two lateral lugs,

59 and 60, the lower lug 60 being adjustable in relation to the lug 59 along the upright 58.

61 is a lever, one arrn of which extends between the lugs 59 and 60, the other arm of said lever being connected to an upwardlv extending rod 62 for operating the valve of the by-pass 18, 19.

The valve casing 19 is provided with a vertical conical valve seat 63 with which engages the conical valve 64, see Fig. 6. Said `valve 64 is secured to an arm 65 that is se-y cured to a rock-shaft 66.

closed its seat 63, the pin 73 will be resting upon the arm 67 l(as shown in Fig. 5), and

when the valve 64 is raised above its valve seat 63, the pin 73 will rest upon the arm 68. The upper end of the arm 72 is preferably provided with a weight 74, and a stop pin 7 5 on the outside ofthe casing 19 serves to limit the backward movement or drop of the arm' 68.

From the above it will be seen that a movement of the lever 69 upon its fulcrum will raise or lower the arm 72, and cause it to move near to or away from the arms 68 and 67 respectively, and when said arm gets beyond its center of gravity, it will fall, and the pin 73 will fall against either the arm 68 or the arm 67 as the case may be, and immediately open or close the valve 64, 63. When the valve 64, 63 is closed,. the parts llO lili

- mosaico B will be inthe positions shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7 the arm of the lever 61, connected with rod 62 will be lowered, and the opposite arm of said lever will be raised and close to the lug 59 on the rod 58, so that when said lug is lowered by the fall of' the cover 57, it will carry down the nearest arm of' lever 6l, raise its opposite arm and rod 62, and turn the lever 69 to the left; the weighted arm 72 will turn to a vertical position and beyond said position to the eft, and as soon as it has passed said vertical position or its center of gravity, it will drop so that the pin 73 will fall against the arm 68 andinstantly cause said arm to drop upon the pin 75, and at the same time raise the valve 64 from its Valve seat. The lug 60 is for the purpose of' moving the lever 61 in the opposite direction to that above described. This is done when the cover 57 is raised by the expansion of gas within the gas receptacle 55. The raising of the cover 57 and the consequent raising of the lug 60 will turn the lever 61 so as to lower the rod 62, and thus'v cause the lever 69 to turn to:

the right. As soon as arm 72 has passed its center of gravity, it will drop to the right with its pin 73 upon the arm 67, and will instantly rock the shaft 66 to close the valve 64 upon its seat 63.

As heretofore stated, the upper end of the pipe 16 terminates at` a burner or burners 17. The burner is inclosed within a suitable lantern 76, see Figs. 1 and 8, and an ordinarv as cock 77 is )rovided for refrulatin e s the admission of gas to the burner. A very appropriate burner for the purpose of my invention is one such as is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in 'which the outlet of' the tube 16 is in the form of an ejector inclosed in a surrounding tube 78 provided with air inlets 79 back of the outlet of the pipe 16. The tube 78 near its outlet end is provided with ar screen diaphragm 80, and the outlet end of said tube is covered -with a mantle 8l. The

' above described form of burner will provide means for producing a very strong light and for generating a great amount ot heat, so that the light at the outlet of the burner will be most effective for lighting railway signals.

Referring to Fig. 1, 82 is an ordinary i hollow standard through which the rod 83,

which connects the piston of the motor 13 and the semaphore 84, passes.

85 is an electromagnet which is energized by a circuit passing through the rails. and which keeps the semaphore 84 in safety position. The energizing of such magnet causes the conical valve 25 in the casing 11 to move away from its seat, and the valve 27 to close, -so that the gas will pass to the motor 13, keep the piston raised, and semaphore 84 in safety position, as for example, as shown in said figure. The denergizing 25 to drop on its seat, so that gas will notV be permitted to enter the motor 13, and the valve 27 will be opened so as to permit the exhaust gas from the motor 13 passing back through the pipe 12, casing 11, and pipe 14 in the gas reservoir l5, the exhaust assing out of the motor 13 permitting its piston to drop by gravity,I and consequently raising the semaphore 84 to danger.

The above described construction is Well known, and needs no further description.

I find that a very excellent gas for the purpose of operating a signal motor and for lighting the signals can be produced by combining water and a. metallic hydrid, and especially a calcium hydrid. The use of a hydrid or hydrids is especially advantageous on account of its producing such a large quantity of gas, its leaving practically no dirty residue, its safety, and its cheapness.

In order to prevent the freezing of the Water in the generator, sodium may be added to it, about 15%, and preferably caustic soda.

for the purpose of containing the metallic hydrid in a divided state, and the tank 39 is for the purpose of containing water.

The opening of the valve 42, 43 permits the water to fall through the hydrid, and by such action decomposing the same and generating the gas, which will pass up through the pipe 2 and the rectilier 3. When the pressure of the gas in the casing 28 has arrived at a predetermined point, it will act upon the diaphragm 46 and cause the valve 42, 43 to close, preventing the further dropping of any more water from the tank 39, and consequently practically preventing the further generation of gas, until the pressure has decreased, when the valve 42-43 will open and the'water will flow into the hydrid again, The pocket or reservoir 34 will col' lect the refuse or fine material that passes through the openings of the bag 37. The gas from the generator 1 and rectifier 3, when the cock 7 is open, will pass into the receiver 6 as well as along the pipe 4 to the reducing valve 8. and the gas from said reservoir can be utilized as before stated` when the generator or rectifier 3 be opened for any purpose, as for refilling or replacing anything within said generator or rectifier; but in this case the cock 7 will have to be closed so that the gas from the reservoir 6 will not escape through said cock.

For the purpose of protecting the generator. rectifier, reservoir and receiver, and to still further prevent the freezing or congealment of the materials, I prefer to keep the generator, rectifier. receiver and reservoir, in a recess or pit 86 below thev surface of the earth, which pit has a cover 87.

rlhe gas passing along the pipe c in the direction or the arrow toward the signal end of the apparatus, after passing through the reducing valve 8 and the pipe 10, through the casing 11 and its valve or valves, Will then pass to the motor 13, or instead ot passing to said motor it will stop at the casing 11, and the exhaust gas from the motor Will pass back through the pipe 12 in the casing 11 and through the pipe 14 into the reservoir 15. `When the gas passes into the motor 13, it will operate the motor, and said motor will operate the signal in the manner described above. The gas for the burners Will be supplied by the reservoir 15, and will pass from. said reservoir through the pipe 16 to the burners. It may be that there is not suticient gas in the reservoir 15 to supply the burners properly, and so that the pressure will be kept at a predetermined point. Just as soon as the pressure decreases, the amount of gas will decrease in the reservoir 15, the cover 57 will drop,` and through the lever 61 and rod 62, open the by-pass valve in the casing 19 as above described, and the gas will pass directly from the reducing valve 8 through the bypass 18, 19 into the pipe 14, and from thence into the reservoir 15, and will be prevented from passing from the pipe 14 into the casing 11 by a check valve 86. As the amount oi' gas increases in said reservoir, its pressure will also increase and raise the cover 57. When said cover has risen to a point Where the lug strikes against the' underside of lever 61, it will operate said lever, and through the rod 62 close the by-pass valve in the casing 19 and shut o the supply oi" gas from the main pipe et and reducing valve 8. The lug 60 is made adjustable in relation to the lug 57, so as to regulate the time of closing the reducing valve. From` the above it Will be seen that the gas is continually supplied to the burners in the proper amount and at the proper pressure and automatically.

For the sake of clearness, l have shown and described in detail the preferred form of the gas generator, but I make no claim to the gas generator per se in this application, since it "Will be the subject matter of a divisional application.`

My invention provides means for automatically operating the signals through the instrumentality of gas; `for operating a gas motor, and for lighting the signals with the same `gas that operates the motor, and for keeping the proper supply of gas and `at the proper pressure at the burners.

'It Will be readily seen that in order to l from said mensen carry out my invention it is not necessary to employ the precise construction and features hereinbefore described, as many changes may be made therein Without departing from the principles of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina signaling apparatus for railways, a' signal, a gas burner for lighting the signal, a gas motor for operating the signal, means for conveying gas to said motor, a gas reservoir, an exhaust passage leading from said motor to said reservoir, a by-pass connecting saidconveying means with said reservoir, a passage for supplying gas to the burner from said reservoir, and means for controlling the amount of gas to be passed through said bypass.

2. In a signaling apparatus for railways, a signal, a gas burner for lighting the signal, a gas motor for operating the signal, means for conveying gas to said motor, a gas reser-` Voir, an exhaust passage leading from said motor to said said conveying means Withsaid reservoir, a passage for supplying gas to the burner reservoir, a valve in said by-pass, and means connecting said valve with the reservoir for opening said valve when the reservoir does not contain a predetermined quantity of gas, and for closing said valve When the predetermined quantity is reached.

3. In a railway signaling apparatus, a signal, a gas motor and a burner therefor, a gas generato-r, a gas reservoir, means for supplying gas to the reservoir from the motor and from the generator independently of the motor, and means Jfor supplying gas to the burner from the reservoir independently of the motor or the generator.

el. ln a railway signa-ling apparatus, a signal, a gas motor and a burner for the signal, a gas generator, a gas reservoir, means for supplying gas to the reservoir from the motor and from the generator independently of the motor, means for supplying gas to the burner from the reservoir independently ot' the motor or the generator, and means governed responsively to changes of gas in the reservoir for contro-lling the direct supply ot' gas from the generator to the reservoir. f

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this speciiication, in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

C LYDE J. COLEMAN. 'Witnessesz EDWIN Saone, PENNINGTON HALsrnD. 

